Random Topps Card of the Day: 2009 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH3 Michael Saunders

We reset the Topps Card Randomizer to come up with seven new cards to present for this week. Introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, May 24, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2009 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH3.
• Player Name, position, team: Michael Saunders, outfielder, Seattle Mariners.
• Major League Debut: July 25, 2009.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2009 stats (Combined stats from West Tenn-AA and Tacoma-AAA): 91 G, 343 AB, 58 R, 95 H, 22 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 46 RBI, 12 SB, 39 BB, 96 SO, .461 SLG, .817 OPS, .277 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Mariners #11th, June 1994. Bats Left, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Saunders' first regular Topps card (his rookie card). There really isn't more that can be said about the 2009 Topps set. After a sub par 2008 design, this one really popped with collectors. With the large pictures, and the subtle use of "scrapbook corners" along with the logo within home plate on the lower right corner, what a way to end the millennial decade (2000-2009). Due to the rookie card rules imposed in 2006, Saunders couldn't make his "rookie card" debut until he made his major league debut. So when he made his big league debut before the end of July, he finally qualified to have that rookie card logo attached and could appear in regular or traded Topps cards. The back of his card reads that he registered four bunt singles in his first ten games. "He honed his small-ball skills at High Desert in 2007, heeding an organizational rule that required all speedy players to lay one down at least once every 10 at-bats." That means that the M's really stress the basics in the minors. Every 10 at bats, guys like Saunders had to bunt. Hey, if it works for the M's. Above the dome-shaped statistics box of many of the player's cards, there is an extra stat that is featured. In Saunders' case, it's his career OPS by classification: Short Season A .836; Single A .674; High Class A .866; Double A .851; Triple A .708; Total .798. Now normally, this would be sorted out from highest to lowest. I guess because there are no major league totals on here that Topps categorized it by classification from lowest to highest.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.30-$0.75.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 1 card.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1984 Topps Traded #32T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. See you then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama